This invention relates to a switching network for monitoring stations.
In a research and development laboratory, a monitoring station may have several monitor oscilloscopes connected to test points of equipment to monitor high response analog signals. An engineer may wish to select a specific channel being viewed for further viewing on advanced analysis instrumentation. The prior method of signal selection was by manually patching the signal through coaxial test leads, a method which is very slow and extremely cumbersome during testing. It would be highly desirable to have a switching network for making the connections.
There are a number of U.S. patents for monitoring test points. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,458 to MacArthur for "Monitoring Apparatus", U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,639 to Ueda et al for "Control System for Electric Installations for Use on Vehicle". U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,965 to Schroeder for "Time Division Multiplex System for a Motor Vehicle", U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,421 to Juhasz et al for "Vehicle Monitoring and Recording System", U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,402 to Kastura et al for "Motor Vehicle Diagnostic and Monitoring Device Having Keep Alive Memory", and U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,136 to Panik for "Device for Indication of Operational and Computed Values". However, no available product was suitable for performing the required switching function.